Writing instruments



Jan. 19, 1960 o. F. Nuss WRITING INSTRUMENTS Filed April 15, 1957 xm o mx f mM/M l IWI' fn. o f2 .lllri I United States Patent WRITING INSTRUMENTS Oscar F. Nuss, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Paper Mate Manufacturing Company, Culver City, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application April 15, 1957, Serial No. 652,733

3 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0-42.03)

This invention relates to writing instruments especially of the ball point pen type, and more particularly relates to improvements in mechanisms for extending and retracting the writing element of such instruments whereby accidental projection of the writing tip into writing position while the pen is being carried in a pocket may be virtually eliminated.

It is now quite feasible to construct a ball point writing instrument with a writing element movable from an extended writing position to a retracted carrying position. Such an instrument is not generally subject to leakage, avoids the use of an inconvenient separate cap, and may be conveniently carried with its writing element in a housed retracted position but capable of being instantly readied for use.

The prior art discloses a rather large number of mechanisms adapted to providing simple, efficient, projection and retraction of the ball point relative to a lower apertured end of the writing instrument. In general, however, efforts to provide substantially instantaneous, eilortless operation of such mechanisms have created an inherent diiliculty that is characteristic of virtually all types of mechanisms, namely, a tendency of the ball point to be accidentally moved into a projected or writing position without such fact being apparent to the user of the instrument. It frequently occurs where the instrument is being carried by its clip in a shirt or pants pocket, for example, that the retracting mechanism is accidentally engaged, causing the writing tip to be moved unnoticed into a writing position where its exposed point soils the garment. This, of course, is objectionable since the viscous, indelible inks generally employed in such instruments produce strains which are virtually impossible to remove, and which may transfer to other garments or objects, with similar results. A further objection is that upon subsequently withdrawing the pen from the pocket, the point may leave an unintended indelible trace on whatever object it cornes into contact with, including the writing surface, much to the annoyance of the user.

Generally stated, the present invention aims to overcome these and other difficulties, in a simple, practical manner, by providing an inexpensive serviceable, automatic point-locking device by which accidental projection of the point when in a housed retracted position is effectively prevented.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking means of the character described engageable with a wall of a pocket to thereby prevent projection of the writing tip into writing position.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a locking device which cooperates with the pocket clip of the writing instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide a writing tip locking device which can be readily manufactured at a low cost, having a minimum number of parts, and which is adapted for use in existing types of writing instruments.

fr* o ICCV Another object of the invention is to provide a writing tip locking device which is automatic in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in section and in elevation of an exemplary writing instrument embodying the invention, showing the engagement of the locking means with the wall of a pocket to hold the writing unit in retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. l, showing the locking means in an inoperative position;

Fig. 3 is a like view showing the positions of the parts when the writing unit is in a projected writing position;

Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal section along the lines IV--IV of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation taken from the left of Fig. 2,-with the pocket clip and portions of the retaining sleeve removed to show the underlying structure;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation of the inside lower portion of the pocket clip; and

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of a particular spring wire locking element useful in the devicev of Figs. l to 6.

Brieliy, the exemplary writing instrument consists of a shell housing a writing cartridge, and operating means whereby the cartridge may be selectively moved from a projected position to a retracted position or vice versa, the shell being provided with locking means engageable with the wall of a pocket for preventing projection of the cartridge when in a housed, retracted position. This new locking function, and the desired control over projection of the cartridge obtained thereby, are accomplished by novel and simple means, which are inexpensive, and which may be easily applied to existing constructions and embodiments of ball pointed writing implements.

A typical ball-pointed writing implement 10 adapted to using the novel locking means herein contemplated is shown in Fig. l, and includes a writing unit or cartridge 11 which is shown as a cylindrical ball point pen unit having an upper tubular ink reservoir portion 12 and a lower writing tip 13 of reduced diameter. The cartridge 11 is slidably positioned in a longitudinally extending bore or chamber of a lower case 14 and an upper body element 15, the latter being adapted to slidingly receive an outer shell 16. A tubular adapter 18 having an upper cammed surface 19 and a lower open end 21 is removably carried by the upper end 12 of cartridge 11, the cartridge and adapter together being biased toward a retracted position and into operating engagement with plunger 20 by means of a retracting spring 22. As shown, the spring 22 in turn bears against a retaining shoulder 24 provided in a lower portion of case 14 and a crimped shoulder or projection 26 provided on the cartridge. If desired, the adapter 18 may be slidably interlocked with plunger 20 to facilitate assembly. Also, by providing a substantially hollow or tubular adapter, a longer cartridge of larger ink capacity may be used.

The cartridge 11, adapter 18 and plunger 20 are each freely slidable within the barrel section 14, 15, and have a combined length greater than the total length of lthe housing or barrel. Accordingly, the writing tip 13 of the cartridge may be projected through the lower aperture end 28 of the barrel by depressing the plunger 20 axially of the pen. By a coaction of cam surfaces, the plunger is thereafter held in projected position by abutment of a latching element 30 against the upper wall of an opening 32 provided in the upper barrel portion 15. A side button 34 slidably received in the side wall of the upper barrel permits disengagement of the latch 30 and a return of the cartridge to a retracted position. As the particular re.-

16 ofY the barrel.

tractingmechanism Villustrated is fully disclosed in copending application Serial No. 573,983 led March 26, 1956 by George G. Larson, its operation need not be described in greater detail. Itzwill be understood, however, thegprinciples of: the present inventionV are not limited to any .p articsular penconstructionfor Atypegof retraction mechanism, t but i have applicability to any .writing implement.of,the general: character described.

As is customary in writing implements, a pocket clip 40 lis! provided havinga semi-cylindrical engagingportion 42 .atfits lower-.end and-suitable inturned portions44 at the upperendfor attaching the clip to thepen. An inwardly .extending-,terminal portion .46 ,of the clip isadapted to engage Within a slot or groove 4S provided in the adapter for Apurposes,cfg-aligning the cam-,surfaceJSl-of the adapter with the. pushJ button, asA is more fully disclosed. lin ,the yabove referred 'to copending .application Serial '.No. 573,983. As is particularly shown in Fig. land 3, the axiahdimensionsl of the adapter (whenthe 'cartridge is in retracted position) are such that its lowertend-47 fis positioned inlsubstantial transverse alignment .with the l engaging, portion 42.0f the pocket clip.

In accordance -with the present invention locking means yarepprovided-which. upon engagement with the wall :of a pocket` or -thelike. cooperate withv the, clip 40' to, prevent taccidental projection of the writing tip from its normal retracted position. In `the illustrated apparatus, such lockl:ing'fmeans comprisesa spring wire50 carried by .the -barrel .portion-15. of the -pen and adaptedA to project` outwardly -therefrom intotthe path of a wall 49 of a pocket moving between the barrel section and Vthe pocket clip 40. Preferablyfthe spring. 50 isk removably held .in desired posil tion relative to thebarrel by means of the outer sleeve 16 whichacts. to retain the spring in a longitudinal groove 52 of-.conlguration corresponding to. that. of thewire 50.

An `upper endof the wire-may vbe bentas.at 5,4,.and inserted into a radial bore 56 provided in the vbarrel to posi- -tion theyvire longitudinally relative to the, pen body. Desirablywthe terminal orlocking portion of` the wire is formed as loop l5S adapted to protrude externallyof the pen body:through;an.opening 60 provided in the sleeve 16. An. enlarged radial opening 62 lying below the loop portion-5,8, permitsflocking movements of the loop terminus :58a Yradially'inward-of the barrel intoabut'ment with the engaging portion 42. of the pocket clip is providedwith a longitudinally extending. groove or -recess64 on'its inner =sideas is.clearlyjs'hownjinA Fig. 6. As a result, the loop portion 58 of-the spring wire is received in the groove 64 4sothat the normaLg'ripping function .of the pocket clip is not hindered in anyway by the addition ofthe locking means -of the present invention.

` The operation of Vthe-locking means in achieving the desired results of the invention will now be described:

In conventional ball point construction,` projection of the writing tip isgenerally quite easily accomplished, as

illustrated iri Fig. 3 of the appended drawings. .Moreover, ,such projection of the writing cartridge can undesirably occur even though'the pen is securely fastened in a pocket by its clip, since the actuating plunger remains in an exposed exterior position where it can be, and is, frequently v accidentally engaged. With the device of the present` invention, however, insertion 'of the Wall oa pocket betweenfthepocket clip and the pen body will act to Vprevent further projection of -the writing tip, as is specically illustrated in Figs. l and 4, where the Wall 49 of a pocket .islshown in position between the pocket clip 40 and sleeve The effect of the wall 49 is to cause the clip to exert a spring action forcing the loop portion 58 of the spring Wire radially inward into abutment with the lower edge 47 of adapter 18. As a result, further axial movement of the adapter 18 in a direction toward the apertured end 28 of the writing instruments is prevented, regardless of any accidental engagement of the plunger 20. The entire projecting mechanism is therefore positively immobilized andV rendered inoperative until the writing instrument is withdrawnffrom the pocket. It follows that accidental projection of the writing tip is likewise-preventedsince the cartridge isnormally, held in retracted--positionby-the spring 22 and may only be moved downwardly into a projected position by movement of' the adapter-18, Accordingly, as long as,the pocketf49 is retained between the pocket clip and the pen body, projection of the Writing cartridge through the apertured lower end of the barrel cannot be accomplished. Upon removal of the pocket, however, the loop 58 is free to return by its own spring action into an inoperative position housed with the slot I64; in the pocket clip. Thereafter projection and retraction of the writing unit by the plunger 20 can be accomplished in a normal fashion. When the presentcont struction is used with a side button release retract mechanism, as illustrated here in the example given, the act of grasping a pen by its upper end portion to` place itin a Vpocket automatically retracts the cartridgepand insures theaction of the locking spring to immobilize the projecting mechanism.

From the above description of an exemplary embodiment, it should be apparent that the present invention makespossible an inexpensive, simply constructed locking device that acts immediately upon engagement with the wall of a pocket to prevent subsequent .projection of a housed, retracted writing tip. Moreover, the locking means of the invention, employing but a 4minimum of Y parts, is readily adapted to use in existing types of writing instruments; and is entirely automatic in operation. As a consequence, the many ditiiculties encountered as the result of accidental projection of the point into writing position are effectively solved by the improvements of the invention, easily, and with very little increase in unit Costs.

Tothose skilled in the art to which this `invention relates, many changes in construction and widely 'differingiembodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselveswithout departing from theV spirit and yscope of the invention. For example, althoughl the newv locking mechanism has been particularly described in relation to pens employing a side button type of retracting` mechanism, it could be employed with equal success in pens employing double-acting, push-button, ratchet, clip-actuated, or other well known types of retracting mechanisms, without requiring material variation from the principles of the invention. Also, the spring 50 might act directly to immobilize the cartridge, for example by providing the cartridge with an enlarged or anged upper end, thereby eliminating the adapterr 18. Accordingly,rit should be understood that the disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

1. In a writing instrument including a tubular barrel having a forward apertured end, a writing unit Aand project-retract mechanism assembly longitudinally movable in said barrel, an actuating member for said assembly projecting from the upper portion of the barrel, resilient spring means normally biasing said writing unit into retracted position, and a spring clip having a laterally movable free end biased toward the barrel, the provision of: a forwardly directed locking shoulder on said writing unit and project-retract mechanismsassembly; a port in the barrel opposite the free end of said clip; a resilient spring lock element within the barrel, one end of said lock element being connected to the barrel to prevent longitudinal movement, the other end being laterally movable and having an outer portion extending into said port and an inner portion; said outer portion protruding from said port for engagement by the wall of a pocket when the writing unit is in retracted position, said outer portion being laterally movable upon insertion of a wall of a pocket between said free clip end and outer portion to move the inner portion laterally into the path of movement of the writing unit and project-retract mechanism assembly and forwardly directed locking shoulder thereof to engage said shoulder and to immobilize the project mechanism and writing unit and positively hold the writing unit in retracted position.

2. A Wriitng instrument as stated in claim l wherein said clip free end includes a recess for accommodating said laterally movable protruding outer portion of the lock member whereby said inner portion is normally positioned out of the path of movement of said writing unit and project-retract mechanism assembly and locking shoulder thereof.

3. A Writing instrument as stated in claim 1 wherein said project-retract mechanism includes a tubular longitudinal movable adapter carrying the forwardly directed locking shoulder, the rear end portion of the writing unit being received by said adapter.

References Cited in the file f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 933,248 Grant Sept. 7, 1909 1,296,900 Zimdars Mar. 11, 1919 1,344,897 Johnson June 29, 1920 2,671,354 Goos Mar. 9, 1954 2,692,580 Kahn et al. Oct. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 245,096 France June 16, 1947 167,283 Australia Mar. 20, 1956 

